Michael Smith appointed Pakistan batting coach

Former South African first class cricketer and coach Michael Smith has been appointed as Pakistan men's batting coach on a two-year contract, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Tuesday (August 4). As a specialist, the 46-year-old will work with both the red-ball and white-ball teams, filling a position that has been vacant for some time. Calls for a specialist batting coach gained momentum after Pakistan suffered a batting collapse to lose the Tarouba Test to West Indies last week. Smith will link up with the Pakistan squad ahead of the three-Test series against England, which begins on August 19. Pakistan have had a designated bowling coach in Umar Gul for the Test side, but no full-time batting coach across either format. National selector Asad Shafiq had occasionally assisted in that role, with Smith now set to take over those responsibilities on a permanent basis. Smith brings considerable coaching experience despite not having represented South Africa at international level. A Level 4 qualified coach, he has built a strong reputation on the franchise circuit and has knowledge of Pakistan cricket, having previously worked with Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League. He also served as batting coach with Australia's Hobart Hurricanes and Cricket Tasmania, while undertaking consultancy roles with South Africa's KZN Inland and Eastern Province. As a player, Smith featured in 89 first-class matches, 72 List A games and 16 T20s between 2003 and 2013. The right-handed batter scored 7,029 runs across formats, including nine centuries and 40 half-centuries. His first task will be to assist Pakistan in enhancing a batting unit that has struggled with consistency over the past few years. The England tour, featuring three Tests, presents an immediate opportunity to address those concerns as Pakistan look to reverse their fortunes in the longest format, which has seen them lose eight straight away Tests going back to the 2023-24 tour of Australia.